Nxakato JSS School Head Cries For Help

Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday April 10, 2017 14:00

She revealed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) and Nxakato JSS. When giving her welcome remarks, Higgins said they are currently experiencing shortage of classrooms, laboratories, staff accommodation, overcrowding at their dormitories and other necessities. She further said the situation has led to two classes receiving their lessons in the school hall.

“Some of the Form 1 classes which are 1A and 1B,  are taking lessons in the hall. Some of the classes are also held in the business lab,” she said. Higgins said they only have six classrooms yet the school needs another six classrooms since they are a 12-classroom stream school.

Higgins said they understand that the government does not have enough money but they hope that through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) something positive can be done to improve the welfare of the school. 

She further said the school is hoping that the second phase of ESP for Nxakato JSS expansion will be done as promised by the MoBE to address issues faced buy the school.

She said they are also concerned about shortage of staff accommodation in the school. “We have 38 teaching staff but we only have 19 houses. This is extremely bad as we have about 19 teachers who do not have accommodation,” she said. Higgins also talked about the traumatic students boarding hostel capacity.

She disclosed that Nxakato JSS has an enrolment 482 students.

She added that they have a total number of 327 boarders, which includes 164 boys and 163 girls. They have exceeded the carrying capacity by 183 students. As a result students share beds because they are not enough. She added that even the bathrooms and storage lockers are not enough, which often makes the place look untidy. 

She further said due to the congestion of students in the hostels all the storage lockers are kept outside the dorms, which is very risky.

She added that most of the boarding students always lose their belongings due to this situation. She pleaded with the community and different stakeholders to play a vital role in improving the welfare of the school. Higgins added that they also have 155 day scholars, being 84 boys and 71 girls.